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with both your hams? Thus they loved to move their feet, and did not spare themselves. That is, they loved to run to idols, and did not repent. 64.897 And they did not spare themselves. That is, they have engaged in the matter insatiably, that is, unsparingly. See how he always accuses them of the intensity and excess of their wickedness. For if they fast, I will not listen. And yet, to fast is no small way of life. But their fasts, listen to what they were like. What does Isaiah say? You fast for strife and debate; why do you fast for me? For fasting is not simply the abstinence from food, but the philosophy of the soul. For just as virginity is not simply abstinence from marriage, but that which most characterizes its virtue, the seemly, and the undistracted attendance on the Lord, so also is fasting. The Ninevites also fasted, but it was not this that swayed God. But what? By the change from wickedness. For what is the benefit, tell me, of abstaining from the flesh of irrational animals, but tasting of human flesh? Of not tasting wine, but being drunk with the avarice of money? This drunkenness is more grievous than that one; it knows not how to yield to sleep, but when day appears, it increases again. I will not listen to their prayer. For their sins are stronger than their prayer. For by sword, and by famine, and by death I will consume them. Famine is one thing, sword another, death another; for in which is. for it is possible to be destroyed neither by famine, nor by slaughter, but simply by some death sent by God. And I said: O Being, Lord, behold their prophets prophesy, and say: You will not see. Why then, he says, do the prophets foretell these things: There will be no famine, nor sword? The prophet endured great violence, not in being forced to say gloomy things, but also in having opponents, and deceivers, and those who foretold the opposite. For this reason he appeals to God: O Being, Lord Master, in contrast to those who are not. And the Lord said to me: The prophets prophesy lies in my name. Why did God not remove the false prophets? So that you may not disbelieve his words. This is similar to saying, Why did he not remove the deceivers who pervert altogether? or rather also the demons who lead into all wickedness? But the divine Apostle suggests the solution to these things, saying: For there must also be heresies among you, that those who are approved may be made manifest. For exercises always increase virtues, and no one is crowned unless he competes according to the rules. He who competes always strives against opponents, and these must exist by the law of spiritual wrestling. And thus the love for God is greater, when many struggles do not conquer it; and the surpassing of the power of the body to him is. of the incorporeal and divine power is shown. Just as in Egypt God was shown to be great, having rendered powerless the sorcerers who opposed his servant. 64.900 For nothing is so great in itself as it is shown by contrast; but events refuted the false prophets, turning out contrary to their purpose, otherwise happening; and by their fruits they were known, if indeed not willing made is. if indeed the willing, and not, made them to be persuaded. For what each one wishes, he also believes. That false visions ... They prophesy to you. For they also reported visions. As Zedekiah says in the third book of Kings. They will die a pestilential death ... And there will be no one to bury them. Do you see, how by the deceived for a length of punishment is. do you see, how by the deceived against the deceivers a length of punishment of the extending disease, and of the famine, and those who are persuaded is. and they themselves, and those who are persuad. by them will be unburied, there being no one to care for them? If I go out into the field, and behold those slain by the sword. For priest. And not even so were they disciplined; for because of this, having shut them in, he destroyed some outside, and others inside, and not even so did they surrender is. give in. What could be more wicked than those so

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ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἰγνύαις ὑμῶν; Οὕτως ἠγάπησαν κινεῖν πόδας αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐφείσαντο. Τουτέστιν, ἔστερξαν τρέχειν ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα, καὶ οὐ μετέγνωσαν. 64.897 Καὶ οὐκ ἐφείσαντο. Τουτέστιν ἀπλήστως τῷ πράγματι κέχρηνται, τουτέστιν ἀφειδῶς. Ὅρα πῶς ἀεὶ αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπίτασιν, καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς κακίας ἐγκαλεῖ. Ὅτι ἐὰν νηστεύσωσιν οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι. Καὶ μὴν οὐ μικρὰ πολιτεία τὸ νηστεῦσαι. Ἀλλ' αἱ τούτων νηστεῖαι, ἄκουσον, οἷαι ἦσαν. Τί φησιν Ἡσαίας· Εἰς κρίσεις καὶ μάχας νηστεύετε· ἵνα τί μοι νηστεύετε; Νηστεία γὰρ οὐκ ἀποχὴ βρωμάτων μόνον ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ φιλοσοφία ψυχῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ παρθενία οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀποχὴ γάμου, ἀλλὰ τὸ μάλιστα αὐτῆς χαρακτηρίζον τὴν ἀρετὴν, τὸ εὔσχημον, καὶ εὐπάρεδρον τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀπερισπάστως, οὕτω καὶ νηστεία. Ἐνήστευσαν καὶ Νινευῖται, ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτο μᾶλλον τὸν Θεὸν ἐπέκαμψαν. Ἀλλὰ τίνι; τῇ μεταβολῇ τῆς κακίας. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, εἰπέ μοι, κρεῶν μὲν ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἀλόγων, σαρκῶν δὲ ἀνθρωπίνων ἀπογεύεσθαι; Οἴνου δὲ μὴ ἀπογεύεσθαι, μεθύειν δὲ πλεονεξίᾳ χρημάτων; Αὕτη χαλεπωτέρα ἐκείνης ἡ μέθη· οὐκ εἶδεν εἶξαι ὕπνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας φανείσης πάλιν αὔξεται. Οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι τῆς δεήσεως αὐτῶν. Ἰσχυρότερον γὰρ τῆς εὐχῆς αἱ αὐτῶν ἁμαρτίαι. Ὅτι ἐν μαχαίρᾳ, καὶ ἐν λιμῷ, καὶ ἐν θανάτῳ ἐγὼ συντελέσω αὐτούς. Ἄλλο λιμὸς, ἄλλο μάχαιρα, ἄλλο θάνατος· ἐν ᾗ γὰρ ἴσ. ἐνὸν γὰρ μήτε λιμῷ, μήτε σφαγῇ, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς ἀναιρεθῆναι θανάτῳ θεηλάτῳ τινί. Καὶ εἶπα· Ὁ ὢν, Κύριε, ἰδοὺ οἱ προφῆται αὐτῶν προφητεύουσι, καὶ λέγουσιν· Οὐκ ὄψεσθε. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, οἱ προφῆται ταῦτα προλέγουσιν· Οὐκ ἔσται λιμὸς, οὐδὲ μάχαιρα; Μεγάλην βίαν ὑπέμεινεν ὁ προφήτης, οὐχὶ τῷ σκυθρωπὰ λέγειν ἀναγκάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τοὺς ἐναντιουμένους ἔχειν, καὶ τοὺς ἀπατῶντας, καὶ τἀναντία προλέγοντας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐντυγχάνει τῷ Θεῷ· Ὁ ὢν, ∆έσποτα Κύριε, πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῶν οὐκ ὄντων. Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρός με· Ψευδῆ οἱ προφῆται προφητεύουσιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι μου. ∆ιατί τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας οὐκ ἐξεῖλεν ὁ Θεός; ἵνα μὴ ἀπιστῆτε αὐτοῦ τοῖς ῥήμασιν. Ὅμοιον δὲ τοῦτο τῷ λέγειν, ∆ιατί τοὺς ἀπατῶντας καθόλου μὴ ἐξεῖλεν διαστρέφοντας; μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας τοὺς εἰς πᾶσαν κακίαν ἐνάγοντας; Ἀλλ' ὑποφαίνει τούτων τὴν λύσιν ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος, λέγων· ∆εῖ γὰρ καὶ αἱρέσεις ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι, ἵνα οἱ δόκιμοι φανεροὶ γένωνται. Αὔξει γὰρ ἀεὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς τὰ γυμνάσια, καὶ οὐδεὶς στεφανοῦται ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Ὁ δὲ ἀθλῶν ἀεὶ πρὸς ἀντιπάλους ἀγωνίζεται, καὶ δεῖ τούτους εἶναι νόμῳ πάλης πνευματικῆς. Καὶ μείζων οὕτως ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπη, τῶν πολλῶν αὐτὴν μὴ νικώντων ἀγώνων· καὶ τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς τοῦ σώματος τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν δυνάμεως ἴσ. τῆς ἀσωμάτου καὶ θείας δυνάμεως δείκνυται. Καθάπερ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ μέγας ὁ Θεὸς ἐδείχθη, τοὺς ἀντικαταστάντας τῷ θεράποντι καταργή 64.900 σας φαρμακούς. Οὐδὲν γὰρ καθ' αὑτὰ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ἐξ ἀντιθέσεως δείκνυται· τὰ πράγματα δὲ τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας διήλεγχεν ἐναντία τῇ προαιρέσει τυγχάνοντα ἄλλ. συμβαίνοντα· καὶ ἐκ τῶν καρπῶν δὲ αὐτῶν ἐγινώσκοντο, εἴγε μὴ θέλειν ἐποίει ἴσ. εἴγε τὸ θέλειν, καὶ μὴ, ἐποίει τούτους πεισθῆναι. Ὃ γὰρ ἕκαστος θέλει καὶ πείθεται. Ὅτι ὁράσεις ψευδεῖς ... Προφητεύουσιν ὑμῖν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ὁράσεις ἀπήγγελλον. Ὥσπερ ὁ Σεδεκίας ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν φησιν. Ἐν θανάτῳ νοσερῷ ἀποθανοῦνται ... Καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ θάπτων αὐτούς. Ὁρᾷς, ὡς παρὰ τῶν ἠπατημένων εἰς μῆκος τῆς τιμωρίας ἴσ. ὁρᾷς, ὡς παρὰ τῶν ἠπατημένων εἰς τοὺς ἐξαπατήσαντας μῆκος τῆς τιμωρίας ἐκτεινομένης τῆς νόσου, καὶ τοῦ λιμοῦ, καὶ οἱ πειθόμενοι ἴσ. καὶ αὐτοὶ, καὶ οἱ πειθ. αὐτοῖς ἄταφοι ἔσονται οὐκ ὄντος οὐδενὸς τοῦ κηδεύοντος; Ἐὰν ἐξέλθω εἰς τὸ πεδίον, καὶ ἰδοὺ τραυματίαι ῥομφαίας. Ὅτι ἱερεύς. Καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐπαιδεύοντο· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο συγκλείσας, τοὺς μὲν ἔξω ἀνῄρει, τοὺς δὲ ἔνδον, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω παρέδωκαν ἴσ. ἐνέδωκαν. Τί γένοιτο ἂν πονηρότερον τῶν οὕτω